Regulatory Impact Assessments

When there's a proposal to create, change or repeal legislation or regulations, the government agency responsible often has to provide Cabinet with a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA). RIAs summarise:

the problem that need to be addressed

options for addressing the problem

the costs and benefits of each option

who has been consulted and their views

proposals for implementation and review.

RIAs are published when the relevant Bill is introduced to Parliament or the regulation is gazetted, or at the time of ministerial release.

The proposal outlined in this document responds to recommendations made in the Law Commission's 2015 report "The Justice Response to Victims of Sexual Violence". The report recommended a number of legislative changes to improve the justice response to sexual violence victims.

The Ministry of Justice has produced this analysis and advice to inform key policy decisions to be taken by Cabinet on amending the Electoral Act 1993 to update provisions for managing polling disruptions.

This analysis has been prepared for the purposes of supporting decisions to be taken by Cabinet regarding the regulation of referendum advertising for any referendums held with the 2020 General Election

Regulatory Impact Assessment - Protection of the name 'ombudsman'

This analysis has been prepared for the purposes of informing decisions to be taken by Cabinet regarding the proposal to restrict the use of the name ‘ombudsman’ to a Parliamentary Ombudsman appointed under the Ombudsmen Act 1975 (with an exception for two existing private-sector bodies currently using the name).

Regulatory Impact Assessment - Amendments to the Administration of Justice (Reform of Contempt of Court) Bill

This Regulatory Impact Assessment has been prepared by the Ministry of Justice for the purpose of informing final decisions to be taken by Cabinet regarding amendments to the Administration of Justice (Reform of Contempt of Court) Bill.

Regulatory Impact Analysis - Addressing the theft of Livestock Rustling in New Zealand

This analysis has been prepared for the purpose of informing final decisions to be taken by Cabinet regarding the creation of two new offences in the Crimes Act 1961 relating to the theft of livestock.

This Regulatory Impact Assessment provides analysis and advice for the purpose of informing second-order policy decisions related to the jurisdiction and design of the Canterbury Earthquakes Insurance Tribunal.

This RIA has been prepared by the Ministry of Justice. The options presented in this paper relate to previous decisions by Cabinet to reform the Privacy Act (the Act) to send strong signals about the importance of privacy of personal informaiton

Regulatory Impact Assessment: A New Trusts Act

This RIA has been prepared by the Ministry of Justice. It analyses the Law Commission’s recommendations to reform New Zealand trust law. Trust law in New Zealand is important to individuals and businesses, and is a core component of the legal infrastructure and economy.

This Regulatory Impact Assessment provides analysis of a legislative proposal to remove the 10 day notice period before a court registrar can unilaterally cancel a voluntary 'time payment arrangement' for the payment of fines in certain circumstances.

Regulatory Impact Assessment: Improving security so that people feel safer in courts

This Regulatory Impact Assessment examines proposals to extend Court Security Officers' existing powers to deny entry to, or remove, from courts, and detain people in order to better address low level offending and disruptive behaviour in courts.

This Regulatory Impact Assessment provides an analysis of options to improve the procedure for assessing a defendant's fitness to stand trial under the Criminal Procedure (Mentally-Impaired Persons) Act 2003.

This Regulatory Impact Assessment provides an analysis of options to reduce barriers to getting justice for people with low-value civil disputes, and to generally improve the operation of the Disputes Tribunal.

This Regulatory Impact Assessment has been prepared by the Ministry of Justice. It provides an analysis of options to address the negative effects of historical convictions for homosexual offences that have been decriminalised.

This Regulatory Impact Assessment has been prepared by the Ministry of Justice. It provides an analysis of options in relation to two issues which are proposed for inclusion in an Electoral Amendment Bill and/or Regulations.

Regulatory Impact Assessment: Including 17 year-olds, and convictable traffic offences not punishable by imprisonment, in the youth justice system

This RIA analyses the impact of the proposal to consider offending by 17 year olds, including more traffic offending in the youth justice system instead of the adult courts. It also examines how to ensure serious recidivist 17 year old offenders are dealt with in a manner that maintains confidence in the justice system.

Addendum

This Supplementary RIA analyses proposals for 17 year-olds, particularly those who are serious and recidivist offenders, to be treated differently than other young people (i.e. 14 – 16 year-olds) within the youth justice system.

This Regulatory Impact Assessment provides an analysis of options to reduce barriers to getting justice for people with low-value civil disputes, and to generally improve the operation of the Disputes Tribunals. 2013.

Regulatory Impact Assessment - Review of the Privacy Act 1993

Regulatory Impact Assessment: Claim of Right

At the Minister of Justice’s request, the Ministry of Justice has undertaken a review of the law regarding the ‘claim of right’ defence, which was used successfully by the three accused in the Waihopai satellite damage case. November 2010.

Regulatory Impact Assessment: Criminal Procedure Simplification

This RIA has been prepared by the Ministry of Justice. It provides analysis of options to reform and modernise criminal procedure developed by the Criminal Procedure (Simplification) Project. October 2010.

Regulatory Impact Assessment: Alcohol Reform 2010

Regulatory Impact Assessment: Coroners Amendment Bill (Stage 1)

This Regulatory Impact Assessment analyses options to improve the timeliness and efficiency of the coronial system. August 2014.

Regulatory Impact Assessment: Coroners Amendment Bill (Stage 2)

This Regulatory Impact Assessment analyses options for stage two of the reform of the Coroners Act 2006 to improve accountability, transparency and leadership in the coronial system, ensure the management of human tissue samples is more responsive to the needs of families and clarify the jurisdiction of coroners to investigate overseas deaths.

Regulatory Impact Assessment: Coroners Amendment Bill (Stage 3)

This Regulatory Impact Assessment analyses options for stage three of the reform of the Coroners Act 2006 to review the legislative restrictions on suicide reporting and clarify the jurisdiction of coroners to investigate deaths of members of the New Zealand Defence Force as a consequence of hostile action while on operational service.

Regulatory Impact Assessment: All of Government Response to Organised Crime

This Regulatory Impact Assessment provides an analysis of proposals arising from the organised crime strategy - Strengthening New Zealand’s Resistance to Organised Crime: An all-of-Government Response - published in August 2011.

Regulatory Impact Assessment: Tribunal Enhancements

This Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIS) has been prepared by the Ministry of Justice. It provides an analysis of options to improve the efficiency of 29 Ministry of Justice administered tribunals. June 2014.

Regulatory Impact Assessment: Improvements to District Courts Rules

This Regulatory Impact Assessment provides an analysis of options to reduce the time and cost involved in resolving cases in the civil jurisdiction (non-criminal and non-family) of the District Courts. May 2014.

Regulatory Impact Assessment: Interest on money

The current law providing for payment of interest where there is late payment of money owing, is limited, not easily accessible, relies to some extent on judicial discretion, and fails to adequately compensate many creditors. A single, comprehensive and more widely applicable Interest on Money Claims Act is needed, with a basis for interest that reflects the commercial value of delay in payment of money owing. November 2013.

This Regulatory Impact Assessment provides an analysis of the second package of work forming the government response to the Law Commission report Review of the Judicature Act 1908: Towards a consolidated Courts Act and other associated matters. August 2013.

Regulatory Impact Assessment: Review of the Judicature Act and consolidation of courts legislation

This Regulatory Impact Assessment provides an analysis of a package of work forming the government response to the Law Commission report Review of the Judicature Act 1908: Towards a consolidated Courts Act and other associated matters. February 2013.

Regulatory Impact Assessment: Harmful digital communications

This Regulatory Impact Assessment provides an analysis of options to address harmful digital communications by changes to existing legislation to ensure it responds appropriately to this behaviour and covers technological advances; and new civil enforcement regime to deal with harmful digital communications. November 2013.

Regulatory Impact Assessment: Fee regime for the alcohol licensing system

This Regulatory Impact Assessment analyses options to regulate the new alcohol licensing fees regime provided for in the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2013, which is due to fully commence on 18 December 2013. August 2013.

This Regulatory Impact Assessment provides an analysis of options for mandatory training for three categories of security personnel regulated under the Private Security Personnel and Private Investigators Act 2010. September 2013.

Regulatory Impact Assessment: Child harm prevention orders

This Regulatory Impact Assessment provides an analysis of options to address concerns around people who have been convicted of, or found on the balance of probabilities (more likely than not) to have committed, a specified offence, against a child or children; and who pose a high risk of seriously harming a child or children in the future. August 2013.

Regulatory Impact Assessment: Civil fees review

Regulatory Impact Assessment: Reducing the likelihood of offenders of serious violent or sexual offences from coming into contact with their victims

This Regulatory Impact Assessment provides analysis of the options to address a legal gap that allows serious violent and sexual offenders to come into contact with their victim(s) where other legal protection mechanisms do not apply. September 2012.

Regulatory Impact Assessment: Reducing the likelihood of offenders of serious violent or sexual offences from coming into contact with their victims

This Regulatory Impact Assessment provides an analysis of options to address child pornography and related offending by proposing amendments to the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993 and the Customs and Excise Act 1996. August 2012.

Regulatory Impact Assessment: Improving Case Management for Civil Cases in the High Court

This Regulatory Impact Assessment provides an analysis of options for determining fees for services LINZ is required to deliver under the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011. December 2012.

This Regulatory Impact Assessment provides an analysis of options which aim to improve the competency of lawyers who wish to commence practice as a barrister and solicitor or barrister sole on their own account. December 2012.

Regulatory Impact Assessment: Prisoners' and Victims' Claims Act 2005

This Regulatory Impact Assessment provides an analysis of options to meet the Government's objectives to prevent future breaches of prisoners' human rights, while providing that if breaches do occur, there is a fair response that appropriately balances the rights of prisoners and their victims. November 2012.

This Regulatory Impact Assessment provides an analysis of the main proposed changes to the Alcohol Reform Bill, which will be included in a Supplementary Order Paper at the Committee of the Whole House stage of the Bill. July 2012.

This Regulatory Impact Assessment analyses options to simplify the legal aid approvals process and encourage talented lawyers into the legal aid system. It also assesses options to reduce the administrative compliance burden on lawyers when applying for approval or claiming payment for services. May 2012.

This Regulatory Impact Assessment provides an analysis of options to update the “daily recovery rates” and “time allocations” which are used by judges to determine the allocation of legal costs between parties at the end of civil court proceedings. April 2012.

This Regulatory Impact Assessment provides an analysis of options to improve access to civil justice in the District Courts, by correcting some unintended consequences of recent changes to the District Courts Rules, in particular the restriction of summary judgment procedure. April 2012.

This Regulatory Impact Assessment provides an analysis of options to prevent the sunset clauses in the Prisoners’ and Victims’ Claims Act 2005 from taking effect before the Government progresses its 2008 PVC Act election policy. March 2012.

Regulatory Impact Assessment: Privacy Act Reform

In 2006, in response to growing concerns that the Privacy Act 1993 (the Act) was no longer fit for purpose, the Government referred a review of privacy to the Law Commission. The Law Commission’s report was completed and tabled in the House in August 2011. March 2012.

This Regulatory Impact Assessment provides an analysis of options to reduce the cost and inefficiencies of the procedure of discovering documents during civil litigation in the High Court and District Courts. October 2011.

This Regulatory Impact Assessment provides an analysis of further options to reduce alcohol-related harm in New Zealand. It builds on the RIA that accompanied the Alcohol Law Reform Cabinet Paper of August 2010, which sought policy approval for the Alcohol Reform Bill. May 2011.

This Regulatory Impact Assessment provides an analysis of options to improve the sharing and use of personal information – that is information about an identifiable individual – under the Privacy Act 1993. August 2011.

Regulatory Impact Assessment: Managing the cost of legal assistance in the justice sector

This Regulatory Impact Assessment provides analysis of the options to create a more sustainable approach to the provision of legal aid (and similar court-funded services), and restrain the growth in expenditure that has occurred in recent years. August 2011.

Regulatory Impact Assessment: Civil Fees: CPI Increase

This RIA provides an analysis of options to increase civil and tribunal fees to address cost pressures faced by the Ministry of Justice in providing court and tribunal services and to ensure that parties contribute an appropriate amount towards those services. March 2011.

This Regulatory Impact Assessment has been prepared by the Ministry of Justice (the Ministry). The Private Security Personnel and Private Investigators Act 2010 comes into force on 1 April 2011. Fees regulations are needed to recover the cost of the new licensing regime. March 2011.

The Private Security Personnel and Private Investigators Act 2010 comes into force on 1 April 2011. A surveillance code of conduct for private investigators must be in place at all times as a matter of law. Regulations prescribing forms must also be in place to allow the Act to operate. June 2011.

Regulatory Impact Assessment: Enhancing Victims' Rights Review

This Regulatory Impact Assessment analyses proposals that aim to ensure criminal justice agencies are more responsive and accountable to victims of crime; and to enhance victims’ rights and roles in criminal justice processes. April 2011.

This Regulatory Impact Assessment provides an analysis of options to regulate to ensure that the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Act implements internationally accepted AML/CF standards in a way which is efficient and proportionate to money laundering and terrorism financing risks within the New Zealand context. November 2010.

In response to the increase in the number of assaults on police officers and prison officers over the past five years and a spate of serious incidents in recent months, the Government has decided that the Sentencing Act 2002 should be amended to ensure that the fact that an offence is committed against a law enforcement officer will be taken into account as an aggravating factor at sentencing. July 2010.

Regulatory Impact Assessment: Hague Child Protection Convention

Extended National Interest Analysis - Hague Convention on Jurisdiction, Applicable Law, Recognition, Enforcement and Co-operation in Respect of Parental Responsibility and Measures for the Protection of Children.

Regulatory Impact Assessment: Credit Reporting/Super Priority

This Regulatory Impact Assessment examines proposals to establish Credit Reporting and Super Priority as enforcement measures for overdue fines and reparation (collectively referred to as penalties). April 2010.

This Regulatory Impact Assessment provides an analysis of options to prevent future claims for monetary compensation by prisoners for breaches of their rights by the State; and provide for transitional arrangements in respect of existing and potential claims arising from the Behaviour Management Regime (BMR) in operation at Auckland Prison between 1998 and 2004. April 2010.

Regulatory Impact Assessment: Legal Aid Review - March 2010

Regulatory Impact Assessment: Trans-Tasman Proceedings Bill

The Trans-Tasman Working Group on Court Proceedings and Regulatory Enforcement (the Working Group) has identified a range of problems that arise in civil proceedings with a trans-Tasman element or that undermine the effectiveness of various regulatory regimes in each country. December 2009.